Last night in Hollywood at the Mad Men Black & Red Ball…
It’s probably the last major carpet for the show before it concludes in about 8 weeks. So Jon Hamm went all out in a white jacket tux. And Christina Hendricks went all out in a dramatic gown…
After all, it’s a ball.
And I’d consider doing the same, being part of such a monumental show, savouring the last moments before it goes away. Sure. They’ll likely show up at the Emmys and possibly the Golden Globes. But Mad Men hasn’t really factored into the award season as much as it used to. But for all the success of Mad Men, and all his nominations, (as Sally just emailed to me) Jon Hamm has never won the Best Actor Drama Emmy for playing Don Draper. I wrote the other day that Don Draper made Walter White possible. Walter White won all those Emmys. It’s never been Don and Jon.
So… this would be the time, if it ever happens. The first half of Season 7 was strong. If the second half of Season 7 delivers, Hamm is now a compelling favourite. The show is iconic. He’s been loyal, he’s been dedicated, he’s overcome personal challenges. And he’s talking like he knows he reached the summit, telling GQ that:
"Look, the one constant thing I've had in my career is now removed. And that's an eye-opener: Are people still going to take me seriously? Am I just going to do romantic comedies for the rest of my life? What's next? And I don't know, you know? I wish I was smug enough to have had a grand plan. I guess some people would say, 'Okay, the last three years of Mad Men is going to be like this: I want to do a play. I want to do this. I want to do that.' I was just like, 'I want to do something that seems cool.'"
The way I see it, it’s Hamm vs Kevin Spacey in September. Don Draper vs Frank Underwood. How would you vote?
